'Week of the Child' culminates this weekend

By Jessica Pickens

Published: Friday, November 2, 2012 at 09:13 AM.

This weekend is all about kids.

Hog Happnin,’ the Junior Charity League Holiday Gift Galleria and Connect, Commit to Change will all be held this weekend. And they will all focus on one thing: the needs of children at need in the community.

But before these events begin, Cleveland County has already showed its support.

Hog Happnin’ and Connect, Commit to Change recently had to change their planned location to the Shelby City Park due to the recent E. coli outbreak connected to the Cleveland County Fair.

“We have had a lot of public interest and a lot of people who have come out and supported us,” said Hog Happnin’ chairman Lloyd Williams. “We had a lot of decisions that had to be made, and the city and the city park have been very supportive and accommodating.”

Growing interest

Hog Happnin’ will have food vendors -- including barbecue -- and about 60 competing barbecue teams. The money raised at the event will be donated to the Cleveland County Children’s Home.

Hog Happnin,’ the Junior Charity League Holiday Gift Galleria and Connect, Commit to Change will all be held this weekend. And they will all focus on one thing: the needs of children at need in the community.

But before these events begin, Cleveland County has already showed its support.

Hog Happnin’ and Connect, Commit to Change recently had to change their planned location to the Shelby City Park due to the recent E. coli outbreak connected to the Cleveland County Fair.

“We have had a lot of public interest and a lot of people who have come out and supported us,” said Hog Happnin’ chairman Lloyd Williams. “We had a lot of decisions that had to be made, and the city and the city park have been very supportive and accommodating.”

Growing interest

Hog Happnin’ will have food vendors -- including barbecue -- and about 60 competing barbecue teams. The money raised at the event will be donated to the Cleveland County Children’s Home.

“I think there has been more public interest in Hog Happnin’ than there has been in the past,” Williams said. “This has allowed us to show to more people that we are here to help the children of the Children’s Home.”

With the change of location, even more volunteers have offered to help, including students from Gardner-Webb and Appalachian State University, said Connect, Commit to Change organizer Collette Deviney.

That includes 100 GWU athletes.

“Following the change, people in our community showed that they really care about our children. We’ve had so many supportive e-mails and phone calls,” Deviney said. “It just shows that people come together when it counts.”

More than 50 helping agencies have signed up to participate, with new agencies joining as recently as Thursday. Connect, Commit to Change has already received monetary and service commitments from residents wanting to help.

“I already have a list of people who have made commitments,” Deviney said. “This has never happened before."

Last year's event saw 244 committments from residents who signed up to assist an agency.

Gift Galleria returns

The Junior Charity League Holiday Gift Galleria is working with the two events to help area children in need.

“We still have the same goal of helping children, but the Galleria won’t have a ticket booth at Hog Happnin’ now,” said Gift Galliera organizer Katie Haskins. “We were disappointed they had to move but are glad they were able to find somewhere else quickly.”

The Holiday Gift Galleria has 67 vendors and the money raised at the Gallieria will go towards the Junior Charity League clothing room.

The Junior Charity League Holiday Gift Galleria will be at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the LeGrand Center. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Connect, Commit to Change will be located inside the Shelby City Park gym on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Hog Happnin’ starts at 7 p.m. Friday and will continue at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Shelby City Park. Along with barbecue, hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream, there will also be a car show, bands, crafts and karaoke. Prizes will also be given away with a 50/50 raffle. There is no gate fee, however Crest High School and Burns Middle School cheerleaders will collect donations.

For those who have already purchased meal tickets, they can be exchanged for food at any one of the food vendors. Meal tickets already sold cannot be exchanged for money.